The Early Years
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In the early days, the Baroona Hall gig was advertised as “New Orleans Jazz without Electricity” (see poster below). The band was entirely acoustic, using a megaphone for vocals and announcements. The acoustics of the hall lent themselves to acoustic playing, although the washboard would echo all round the hall when not enough people to soak up some of the sound were present.
It wasn’t long however before Andy relented and acquired a very basic sound system for announcements and vocals. The band otherwise remained acoustic.
A couple of amateur recordings were made in the early days by the late Bert Dakin, a jazz and sound enthusiast.
Peter Rex left after not too long, and was replaced on trombone by Dick Rigby. John Reid returned to Sydney and was replaced by Robbie Robinson on banjo.
In December 1977, Andy arranged for the regular Sunday night gig to be a charity fund raiser, and for Bert to do a “proper” recording. Andy invited members of the Vintage band along, and a rip roaring night was had. The recording, which still survives, is considered a classic by aficionados. On one side of the cassette was the CSJB, and on the other the Vintage Jazz band (Andy, John Braben, John Cox, Paula Cox, Mike Hawthorne, Jo Hawthorne), with Bob Mair on washboard, Jack Connelly on sousaphone, and Ken Herron, that great and unfortunately late trombonist. The two trombone “Ory’s Creole Trombone” featuring Mike and Ken was a classic.
In 1978 Andy handed over some of the organisation to Bob. Over the next couple of years, the sequence and timing of events is a bit vague. Dick Rigby was replaced in 1979 by the band’s current trombonist, Tom Nicolson, Andy decided to leave and Tony Ashby came in on reeds. Graham Duffin replaced Ian Oliver, Peter Ransom replaced Robbie Robinson, and various bass players came and went – Peter Freeman (two stints), Ian Cocking, and Ron Hawkins, until Brian Eydmann came along. Ken Herron also did a couple of gigs on tuba, and other people to fill in in this period were present trumpet player, John Braben, Mileham Hayes on banjo, John Cox on banjo, Barrie Webb on reeds, and the late Denny Olive on bass.
When Mileham Hayes ran a jazz festival at the Qld Uni in 1979, the CSJB appeared and found two fans in Chris Taperell and John Costello, members of the Bob Barnard band.
In 1980, the foundation of the band that was to rise to great popularity in the early to mid 80s was laid. Under Tony Ashby’s musical guidance, the band became more disciplined, and learned new material.
The picture right is the earliest we have of the band. It was taken at the Baroona Hall, probably in 1979 or 1980. Pictured from left are Tom Nicolson, Bernice Haydock, Tony Ashby, Peter Ransom, Bob Mair, Graham Duffin and Ron Hawkins.
Meanwhile, attendances at the Baroona Hall venue had been in decline for some time, and the band was on the lookout for somewhere else. After a couple of unproductive efforts at The Gap Sports Club, it spent 3 months in 1980 at a venue in Elizabeth St called Knights Disco. The CSJB took it over on Thursday nights and called it “Minnie’s Jazz Club”, named after a song the band had latched on to called “Minnie The Mermaid”. This tune was to become a standard crowd pleaser in the years to come.
This venue never really took off, and band members made a total of $30 each for the 3 month period. There is a recording around of one of the Minnie’s nights – possibly the opening night. Peter Ransom was unavailable and John Cox played banjo on this night.
The band at this time was settled in its personnel – Duffin, Ashby, Nicolson, Mair, Haydock, Ransom, and Eydmann, although Tony Ashby had given notice that he would not be continuing with the band in 1981.
The band went to the 1980 Convention in Forbes NSW. Graham Duffin and Brian Eydmann did not make the trip, and Ian Oliver played trumpet. Jack Connelly who had left the band some years before was at the Convention and played sousa. There is a recording of the band’s first session at the Convention. The session was received well by the crowd. Comments about the band’s infectious rhythm were made. And some unlabelled cassettes that had been hastily prepared for the convention were sold. The recording had been done at the Qld Uni Music Department Performance Room.
In those days, Bernice used to vacate the piano stool to sing in front of the band. When Dick Rigby was in the band, he would play piano in Bernice’s vocal numbers. At the 1980 Convention, banjoist, the late Maurie Dann, played piano for one number while Bernice sang “The World’s Jazz Crazy”.
In early 1981, Mileham Hayes had opened his Adelaide St Jazz Cellar and offered the CSJB Monday nights – playing for the door. Tich Bray joined the band on reeds. Peter Magee referred to it as a “stompy little band”. Mike Drum, owner of the Caxton Hotel, was looking for a band to play on Saturday afternoons at his beer garden. He heard the band one Monday night at The Cellar, and the band started at the Caxton Hotel in March 1981. This was the beginning of a continuous 11-year engagement.